1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image processing apparatus provided with a storage unit that associates application data dependent on application software.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional digital copying machines are equipped with a function of storing image data read with a scanner or generated by rasterizing page description language (PDL) data transmitted from a host computer on a hard disk, and reading out the data at any timing to print the data. A finisher can be connected to such a digital copier. The finisher is equipped with finishing functions such as a stapling function, a punching function, a folding function, or a bookbinding function. Some copying machines have a box function. The box function, for example, sets a finishing condition in printing or layout of images in two-sided printing, which is stored on a memory (box) as a document attribute together with image data. The stored data is read at any timing, and printed out based on the document attribute.
Further, for example, as discussed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-15610, data created with application software installed by a client for creating a document or a table can be output in the original format (application data of a format dependent on the application software) without converting the data into image data of a print format. The output data is converted into data of the print format in a print server and printed out. Therefore, at the client side, it is not necessary to convert the application data into data of the print format to output the data. This method contributes to reduce the load of the client.
In the above-described digital copying machines, it is desirable that among a plurality of digital copying machines, image data or application data stored in each box can be referred to each other in order to print or copy the data. However, in the above digital copying machines which stores the application data, when the application data is printed, image data corresponding to the print format should be created. Therefore, each time the printing is instructed, the application data has to be interpreted and converted into the image data of the print format. Accordingly, the print performance can be significantly decreased.
Digital copying machines of the type described above are expected to perform many jobs other than printing, and therefore, the above-described load due to the conversion is problematic.